ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN ENHANCING PEACE IN HIGHER INSTITUTIONS

1.1 Introduction

Public relations is defined as a planned and sustained efforts by a library association or a library authority to promote librarianship within a given community or society. Public relation deals with the relationship between an organization and its various publics. Public relation thus emphasizes the needs to ensure excellent relationship between an organization and all with whom it has deal and this include both internal and external public. Similarly, according to Harlow, public relations is a distinctive management function which helps to establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance and co-operation between an organization and keep informed on and responsive to public opinion defines and emphasis the responsibility of management to serve the public interest and uses research and sound and ethical communication techniques as its principals tools (Idris et al., 2018).

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

Peace is the hallmark of every developed society and without peace, there won’t be any development or growth in that sector and that is why every organization give priority to peace building so as to move forward. And one of the common ways to ensure peace in an institution is to engage the service of public relations to build good relations between and among the public, particularly higher institutions. Whether an organization is a profit-making or non, whether it is owned by the government or a group of individuals, it needs the services of public relations for such organization to dwell and eventually succeed in achieving it set goals. No wonder individual personalities are now engaging the service of public relations to help build, maintain and polish their image and reputation in the public sphere.

Public relations unlike advertisement and other Marking Mix, Place all it efforts in building good image, name and public confidence in the mind of the various publics dealing with the organization public relations did not only see to good image for the products and services of the organization it serve but also ensure good image of the workers and management of the organization. For the above reasons, to define public relations become subject of individual perception of what public relations is and what it does, however many scholars have contributed to the success of defining what public relations is some scholars believed and wrote on it as an act (deed) representing a group or organization.

Public relations are a deliberate planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its public British Institute of Public Relations (BPR). According to Roger Hayward as quoted by Adegoke (2000:1) public relations is the propagation of the personality of the organization. This states the importance of communication between the organization and its public Roger Hayward’s definition has something to do with the definition because both state the duty of public relations officers in promoting projecting and representing the organization and at some time relating with the public of the organization both the internal and external public.

Public relations also project the management personality of which the public relations department represents, through their activities with the use of their perspective tools (i.e print, electronic media and new media/social media. The aim is to create a favourable atmosphere between an organization and its publics. Black (1962) asserts that public relations involve anything that is focused, on improving and enhancing the flow of communication between an institution and its publics.

The main words that can be drawn out from Sam Black definition in the crucial role played by any public relations department through the means of using mass media. However, in this research work, an impartial assessment was done on the role of public relations in the higher institutions as the main crucial and prominent tool in the day running of academic affairs especially in building a peaceful environment for learning.

Public relations assist the institution in so many ways and some of the ways is by writing and distributing press realizes, school newspapers, journals and many more, because Public Relations is a backbone for every organization that is ready and willing to survive.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Role of Public Relations in Enhancing Peace in Higher Institutions.

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1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that so many organizations, management neither recognizes nor appreciate public relations efforts in Nigeria. The management does not realize the potential of public relations activities in building and enhancing a good image for the success of the organization. It has been observed that the management’s attitude is lukewarm and non-challant toward public relations department and their activities.

Besides, they don’t want to spend money on its activities such as organizing seminars, workshops, symposiums e.t.c because of the erroneous and selfish belief that public relations efforts bring little benefits to the organization. Therefore, this study will look at the role of public relations in higher institutions of learning using Delta State University, Abraka as a case study.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to examine the Role of Public Relations in Enhancing Peace in Higher Institutions using Delta State University, Abraka as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To examine whether public relations recognized as a management function of Delta State University, Abraka;
2. To determine if public relations assist in preventing crisis in Delta State University, Abraka; and
3. To identify the factors that contributes to public responses regarding peace sustenance in Delta State University, Abraka.

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1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Are there factors that contribute to public responses regarding peace sustenance in Delta State University, Abraka?
• To what extent can public relations assist in preventing crisis in Delta State University, Abraka?
• To what extent is Public Relations recognized as a management function of Delta State University, Abraka?

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1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: There are no significant factors that contributes to public responses regarding peace sustenance in Delta State University, Abraka
• H1: There are significant factors that contributes to public responses regarding peace sustenance in Delta State University, Abraka

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1.7 Significance of Study

This research will benefit a lot of people. Few among the beneficiaries include but are not limited to undergraduates and graduates of mass communication and public relations. It will as well benefit the public relations practitioners on what is expected of them in higher institutions. It will serve as an eyes opener to the management of the higher institutions of learning on the need to have a functioning public relations department or unit on their campus.

In addition, researchers will know how public relations promote mutual understanding between the organization and publics; Students in various institutions will benefit from this project work by knowing the roles of public relations in society.

Moreover, policy formulators will benefit from this research work because they will be able to identify the usefulness of public relations to them on policy formulations and corporate management.

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1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Role of Public Relations in Enhancing Peace in Higher Institutions using Delta State University, Abraka as a case study.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

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1.10 Operational Definition of the Terms

Higher Institutions: It means all colleges such as polytechnics, universities, colleges of education and a host of other post-secondary schools.

Role: This is synonymous with functions, impact or contributions.

Public Relations: Public relations are a deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its publics.